County cricket is the foundation of England Cricket, with a rich history spanning over the last 100 years, this league plays an important role for England’s cricket and produces world’s finest cricketers. This league contains the following formats.
Format : County Cricket consists of several formats including County Championship (First – Class), One Day Cup ( 50 overs) and T20 Blast (20 overs). In the County Championship, matches are played over four days and are divided in two divisions – Division one and Division two.
Division : County Cricket divides teams in two divisions in which teams battle for promotion and relegation.
Total Team : In the County Cricket Championship, a total of 18 teams clash for the trophy, which attracts fans’ attention and gives them a wild cricket cinema.
Out of all formats, T20 Blast has been the most viewed and widely covered tournament in England. However, all the formats are important for teams to perform well. These 18 teams compete in various formats and win titles accordingly. Here are the top 10 county cricket teams ranked as per their success in all formats.
Top 10 County Cricket Teams
| Rank | County Cricket Team | Founded | County Championship Titles | Notable Achievements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yorkshire | 1863 | 33 (1 Shared) | Most successful in history; 33 County Championships. |
| 2 | Surrey | 1845 | 23 (1 Shared) | Known for modern-day success, especially in the 21st century. |
| 3 | Middlesex | 1864 | 13 (2 Shared) | Oldest team with a rich and storied history. |
| 4 | Lancashire | 1864 | 9 (1 Share) | Historically strong, with a dominant record in domestic cricket |
| 5 | Essex | 1876 | 8 | Consistent performers, recent dominance in the 2010s. |
| 6 | Worcestershire | 1865 | 8 | Known for producing talented cricketers and a few County Championship wins. |
| 7 | Kent | 1842 | 7 (1 Shared) | A historic team with several successful decades in County cricket. |
| 8 | Nottinghamshire | 1841 | 6 | Competitive across formats, with notable achievements. |
| 9 | Durham | 1882 | 3 | A strong team with winning ambitions and a lot of courage. |
| 10 | Hampshire | 1863 | 2 | Successful in both limited-overs and first-class formats. |
1. Yorkshire:
Yorkshire is the most successful and historical team in County Cricket. Known as the “Powerhouse of the County Championship”, It was Founded in 1863 and holds 33 County Championship titles. This team has the world’s most renowned players.
Notable Players
- Geoffrey Boycott – Geoffrey Boycott is one of the greatest openers in cricket history, having a strike rate of 42.72. He scored 8,114 in 108 Test matches, and his highest score was 246.
- Michael Vaughan – Michael Vaughan is a sharp-minded England captain and a right-handed batsman. He scored 5,719 runs in 82 Tests with a strike rate of 47.55, and his highest score was 197.
- Joe Root – Joe Root is a right-handed batsman and the current captain of the England cricket team. With a strike rate of 52.50, he scored over 10,000 runs in Tests, and his highest score was 254.
2. Surrey:
Surrey County Cricket Club, is based in London and was founded in 1845. It has won 22 County Championship Titles and has produced some of the world’s finest players.
Notable Players
- Jack Hobbs – Jack Hobbs is a right-handed batsman and is known for his attacking nature. He scored 61,237 first-class runs with a strike rate of 44.05, and his highest score was 211.
- Alec Stewart – Alec Stewart was a right-handed batsman and an intelligent captain, known for his versatility. In his entire career, he scored 8,463 Test runs with 15 centuries and played 133 Tests and 170 ODIs.
- Rory Burns – Rory Burns is a left-handed batsman and known for his wild opening style. He scored over 1,200 Test runs, with a strike rate of 42.22, and his highest score is 133.
3. Middlesex:
Middlesex County Club was founded in 1864. Having winning ambitions and historic stories, Middlesex has 13 County Championship Titles. Its last winning title was won in 1993 against Sussex.
Notable Players
- Eoin Morgan – Eoin Morgan was a left-handed batsman and scored 700 runs in Tests, and his highest run is 148, which was made against Pakistan in 2010.
- John Emburey – John Emburey was a right-arm off-spin bowler and lower-order batsman. He took 147 wickets and scored 5,646 in Tests.
- Phil Tufnell – Phil Tufnell was a left-arm spinner known for his turn bowling. He took 121 wickets and made 4,560 runs in Tests.
4. Lancashire:
Lancashire County Cricket Club was founded in 1864 and is one of the oldest teams in England. It has 9 County Championship Titles and introduced the finest players.
Notable Players
- Brian Statham – Brian Statham was a heroic right-arm fast bowler, with a fine accuracy and pace he took 252 wickets in 70 Tests and scored a total of 1,122 in Test and his highest score was 45.
- Andrew Flintoff – Andrew Flintoff known as “Freddie” is an all rounder in England Cricket Team. He played a total of 79 Tests and scored a total of 3,845 runs with a strike rate of 59.30. In his bowling career he took 226 wickets and highest score was 167.
- James Anderson – James Anderson is known for his fast and swing bowling, he is a key player for the England Cricket Team, Made 3,299 runs in Test and took over 600 Test Wickets, his highest score is 81 with the strike rate of 56.3.
5. Essex:
Essex County Cricket Club, based in Chelmsford, is a successful and the oldest cricket team. It was founded in 1876, having 8 County Championship Titles, proving its talent in both first-class and limited-overs cricket.
Notable Players
- Alastair Cook – Alastair Cook is a left handed opener and known for his unique batting style. He scored over 12,000 Test runs, with 33 centuries, and a highest score of 294, known for his solid technique.
- Nick Browne – Nick Browne is left handed opener for Essex and England Cricket Team. He has scored over 4,000 first-class runs, with a strike rate of 45.68, his highest score being 170.
- Simon Harmer – Simon Harmer is a South – American born player, known for his unique spin bowling. In his entire bowling career he took over 600 wickets.
6. Worcestershire:
Worcestershire is one of the historical teams that was founded in 1865. It has 5 Country Championship Titles and introduces the finest players.
Notable Players
- Graeme Hick – Graeme Hick was a Zimbabwe-born, right-handed batsman with his aggressive nature he scored over 40,000 first-class runs with a strike rate of 46.35,
- Moeen Ali – Moeen Ali is an all rounder, left handed batsman and off spinner. He has a batting strike rate of 142.53 in T20s and over 3,000 Test runs. In 2017 he made his debut in Indian Premier League (IPL), bought by the Rising Pune Supergiants.
- Tom Fell – Tom Fell is a right-handed batsman and scored over 3,000 first-class runs with a strike rate of 47.20, known for his hard batting.
7. Kent:
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the oldest and best known teams in England. It was founded in 1842 and marks his win 7 times in the County Cricket Championship.
Notable Players
- Sir Colin Cowdrey – Sir Colin was a right handed batsman and played 114 Tests for England. He scored 7,624 Test runs with a strike rate of 42.69 and 22 centuries.
- Darren Stevens – Darren Stevens is a right handed batsman and a medium – fast bowler, known for his all rounder skills. He has scored over 17,000 first-class runs with a strike rate of 52.32 and taken 800+ wickets.
- Rob Key – Rob Key is a right handed opener and known for his attacking nature. He scored over 16,000 first-class runs with a strike rate of 44.33, his highest score being 221, which he achieved for Kent against Yorkshire in 2004.
Also See: Top 10 Best Openers in the World
8. Nottinghamshire:
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the oldest teams, which was founded in 1841. He had 6 County Championship Titles and introduced the world’s considerable players.
Notable Players
- Ian Botham: Lan Botham is an all rounder and known for his wild batting style. He scored 5,200 Test runs and took 383 wickets, with a strike rate of 47.83, his highest score being 208.
- Gary Ballance – Gary Ballance is a fine batsman and an international player of England Cricket Team, With a strike rate of 45.17, he scored over 1,500 Test runs.
- Stuart Broad – Stuart Broad is a right handed fast bowler, he has taken 600+ Test wickets, with a bowling strike rate of 56.0.
9. Durham:
Durham County Cricket Club was founded in 1882 and won its first County Championship in 2008. It has a total of 3 County Championship Titles and introduces the finest players to the world.
Notable Players
- Ben Stokes : Ben Stokes is one of the most famous international players, a left handed batsman and fast bowler, Ben Stokes scored over 5,000 runs with a strike rate of 59.7, and took 200 wickets in Test.
- Steve Harmison : Steve Harmison was a left handed fast bowler and key player for Durham. He took 226 wickets in Test cricket, and was known for his bounce and pace.
- Paul Collingwood : Paul Collingwood was a right handed batsman and former England captain. He scored 4,259 runs with a strike rate of 40.6 and proved his ability in Test.
10. Hampshire:
Hampshire is a well-known county team that was founded in 1863. It has a total of 2 County Championship titles and is yet to receive more.
Notable Players
- Shane Warne – Shane Warne was an Australian leg spinner bowler and a right handed batsman, known for his unique technique of bowling. In his entire career he took 708 Test wickets with a bowling strike rate of 57.4 and scored 3,154 Test runs.
- James Vince – James Vince is a right handed batsman and with a strike rate of 47.62, he has scored over 3,000 Test runs.
- Michael Carberry – Michael Carberry was left handed batsman and known for his unique batting style. He scored 583 Test runs with a strike rate of 45.2.
In the end, the 10 County Cricket Team represents England’s rich history in cricket. From the first runner-up Yorkshire, Surrey, Lancashire, and Essex, etc., all performed well and made their contribution in the cricket world. Their players taught a lot to the rest of the generations, and their contribution will always be remarkable.
